new stallions

It wouldn't be surprising to learn that the volume of traffic heading to Westmeath has significantly increased in the last few months. The county has welcomed four new stallions with Micheál Orlandi's Starfield Stud housing two of them. King Of Change (GB) has had two seasons under his belt already and joins Orlandi from Derrinstown Stud while Dubawi Legend (Ire) is new to stud this season. Both stallions offer breeders unique and affordable opportunities for the season ahead and complement Orlandi's growing roster which includes Far Above (Ire), Kuroshio (Aus),...

Welcome to our annual assessment of Bluegrass sire prospects for the approaching covering season. As last year, we're going to confine our focus largely to a "Value Podium" for each intake--rather than attempt, as in the past, an exhaustive (not to say exhausting) assessment of every stallion in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Believe me, it wasn't always easy to find something adequately civil to say about every last one! But the fact is that this is only ever one person's opinion and, as such, a hopelessly subjective exercise. By restricting...

Five-time Group 1 winner Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), and the Classic-winning Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) all have had their first mares scanned in foal, Darley Europe announced on Monday. Each stallion also has a full book. A crack miler, Palace Pier stands for £55,000 at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket. Also, a winner of the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, Space Blues commands €17,500 at Kildangan Stud in Ireland. Rounding out the trio, Victor Ludorum landed the G1 Prix...

New recruits Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Nando Parrado (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) have had their first mares scanned in foal, the Irish National Stud announced on Wednesday. In foal to G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. hero Lucky Vega is Solar Event (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of Group 3 winner Time Away (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) from the families of Group 1 winners Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor). The Iffraaj (GB) mare Cafetiere (GB), already the dam of G2 Norfolk S. third Imperial...

Nestled near the Malvern Hills in the west of England is Chapel Stud, a 70-acre stud farm owned and managed by Roisin Close. As well as offering services from boarding, sales preparation to breaking and pre-training the stud now boasts a dual-purpose stallion roster with new recruits Walzertakt (Ger) and Bangkok (Ire) joining the stud's three existing and established stallions, Planteur (Ire), Indian Haven (GB) and Hellvelyn (GB). Close formerly owned Bucklands Farm and Stud but when the business outgrew the facilities at that farm a move was needed. "Chapel...

At Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Florida, one feels a sense of family and mutual respect among all of the inhabitants--horses, dogs and people. The atmosphere is relaxed and happy. Brent Fernung of Journeyman Stud and his wife, Crystal, have been cornerstones of the Thoroughbred industry in Florida for more than 40 years. Under Fernung's management Congrats, the leading first-crop sire of 2010, and Wildcat Heir, North America's leading second-crop sire in 2010, both began their careers. In addition to its two new stallions Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo--Forest Music, by Unbridled's...

Welcome to our annual winter survey of Kentucky stallion options--with the difference, this time round, that the emphasis will be far more strictly and succinctly on value. Over the past couple of years, acknowledging of the brevity of commercial momentum for so many sires once losing their freshman luster, we've got into the habit of granting some attention (more or less courteous!) to just about every stallion in the Bluegrass. But such an exhaustive approach has doubtless proved still more exhausting for the reader than for the compiler. So, we've...

Group 2 winner Battleground (War Front--Found {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), a winner of the G2 Vintage S., has been purchased from Coolmore and will stand the 2022 breeding season at the Jockey Club of Turkey Stud Farms in Turkey. A fee will be announced later. Also a winner of the Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot, he crowned his juvenile season with a close second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Bred by Coolmore entity Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt, the son of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Found ran third...

For the first half of this story, please visit yesterday's instalment. Precocity may not be the first thing you'd have in mind from Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike--Julia Tuttle, by Giant's Causeway), who enters service at WinStar at $17,500 after only really seizing our attention at the age of seven. Nonetheless, he represents one of the most promising prospects of the intake. For a start, he's by a sire of sires out of a graded stakes-placed Giant's Causeway mare whose own dam was a full-sister to Candy Ride (Arg). And nine...

Welcome to our annual survey of covering options in Kentucky for the forthcoming breeding season. As usual, we'll start with the rookies and work our way through the preceding intakes, before trying to eke out some value among the more established stallions. A wholly subjective exercise, clearly--so apologies if your fellow doesn't make our "value podium." Every farm is understandably sensitive about the reputation of its stallions, for whom opportunity can be so fleeting and about whom fashions can swell or fade on the flimsiest grounds. We'll do our best...

MGSW Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}-Attraction {GB}, by Efisio {GB}), who ran third in the G1 Juddmonte International in 2019 for Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell, has been retired and will stand at Haras de Saint Arnoult in partnership with Shadwell next year. The three-time group winner will command €6,000. The partnership to stand the dark bay son of Classic heroine Attraction was brokered by Richard Venn. "We are extremely excited to be standing Elarqam in France from next season, in partnership with Haras de Saint Arnoult," said Shadwell Stud Director Richard Lancaster....

G1 St James's Palace S. winner Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}-Without You Babe, by Lemon Drop Kid) will stand for £10,000 during his debut season at Newsells Park Stud in 2021. He enters stud alongside Nathaniel (Ire), the sire of the great Enable (GB) as well as G1 Prix de Diane winner Channel (Ire) and G1 Premio Lydia Tesio scorer God Given (GB). Nathaniel will stand for £15,000 next year, down from £25,000 the last two seasons. Newsells Park Stud's General Manager Julian Dollar said, "Nathaniel's progeny have enjoyed another...